Roman burial rituals
The Roman burial rituals show the way in which the dead were lived in Roman times.
overview
In contrast to today's times, where cemeteries are separated from the public by walls or trees, in Roman times these were visible to everyone and were located along large streets for communal necropolises or individual family graves. They were outside the residential districts, since the Twelve Tables law from the 5th century BC. BC it forbade the burying or burning of the dead within the city limits. The dead also "talk" to the living through their grave inscriptions. This ideology is also evident in the burial rituals of the Romans .
Official course of events
When a man died, the family had to notify a so-called “funeral home” of the death. According to the Pozzuoli Law on Burial, the body should be removed as soon as possible. The author Varro takes a more differentiated view of this. He describes the funus indictivum . From death to burial, the women wore the so-called ricinium , a kind of scarf, as a sign of mourning. Women were encouraged to show their grief publicly.
A series of rituals should highlight the living qualities of the deceased. The exact course of such a ceremony is known from that of the emperor Septimius Severus . For a whole week the deceased was bathed, perfumed and dressed in his most beautiful toga . In addition, there were all sorts of badges and other honors. The deceased was presented so solemnly at the following parade. During the parade, the body of the deceased was placed upright or carried sitting on a stretcher to represent the illusion of life. The procession also included a so-called praefica , which sang songs of praise for the deceased and at the same time regretted his passing.
funeral
Gravesites
- The main type of burial in the first two centuries AD was the cremation grave , afterwards the establishment of body burial (possibly due to the Christian belief in the resurrection).
- Each settlement has a grave field, larger places also have several.
- outside the local boundaries (" Hominem mortuum in urbe ne sepelito neve urito. ")
- located on main traffic routes
- Grave sites are often arranged hierarchically
- rectangular enclosure walls, partly monument inside
- Particular emphasis was placed on good visibility from the street (→ development of grave roads, long, single-line grave fields along the streets, some of which reached great lengths). Images of the dead on the tombs should be clearly visible to passers-by, inscriptions ' spoke ' to them. First burial roads in connection with Roman settlement.
- In addition to rectangular graves, there are also tumuli , large round graves with mounds, preferred by rich landowners
Grave goods
According to both Celtic and Roman customs, the dead were furnished with grave goods (both for cremation and body burial):
- Roman : parting gifts, things that play a role in the funeral rite,
- Gallic : giving away things that were important to the dead in life,
- Vegetable gifts, meat additions (only partially prepared to be edible), dishes, costume components , handicraft / job-related tools, things that prove the status of the dead,
- Special gifts : lamp or coin . According to ancient myth, the coin is used to pay for the ferryman Charon , who drives the deceased across the river Styx , which separates the upper world from the underworld.
literature
- Stefan Schrumpf, Burial and Funeral Services in the Roman Empire ; Göttingen (V&R) 2006. ISBN 3-89971-331-1
- Traces of the Millennia, pp. 276–278
- Ulrich Volp: Death and ritual in the Christian communities of antiquity ; SVigChr 65, Leiden / Boston / Cologne 2002.
- M. Witteyer: From near and far: In: Menschen, Zeiten. Rooms ; 2003, pp. 250-255